Parenting
by Ryuuko1
Summary: After RotS, alternate universe. What if Padme hadn't died? What would happen if Darth Vader had to parent Luke and Leia?
1. Responsibilities

Author: I'm just playing around with these. I hope you have as much fun reading them as I had musing over them. Oh, yes. Padme is...slightly different. I do it for a good purpose, I swear! I hate how weak they make her seem. She has to have some backbone if she was a Senator and a Queen, damn it.

Padme was, to put it mildly, pissed.

'Fall in love with me, kiss me, have sex with me, marry me, all fine and good. But you will not abandon me _or your children._'

She had left Luke and Leia in Obi-Wan's care so that she could hunt Anakin down and make him accept responsibility.

Which was the reason she was stalking down the corridors of an Imperial Starcruiser being snarled at by officers and regarded impassively by the Stormtroopers. Doors opened in front of her and she involuntarily took a step back against the closed doors. It wasn't the sudden starkness or the mass of people working the controls that made her uneasy. There were two people standing a ways in front of her, both exuding a sense of power and malignance. Her eyes narrowed and her stomach dropped to her heels. She wasn't so sure about this...

An image of Luke and Leia's faces swam up into her mind and she glared at the two people. Her children would not grow up not knowing their father. She looked more carefully at the two people swathed in black, had either a) not noticed her or b) were ignoring her. She came up with a crude, uncivilized, but highly effective and embarrassing plan. She took a deep breath, and the ghost of a satisfied smirk tugged at her lips.

"**_ANAKIN SKYWALKER, YOU WILL ACCEPT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A FATHER AND COME HOME TO YOUR FAMILY, ASSHOLE!"_**

The taller of the two figures before her jumped and whirled around, and whispered a harsh,

"Padme?"

She was momentarily frightened, but the body posture of awkwardness, chagrin, shame, and anger (not at her, thankfully) told her that the man encased in the imposing black suit was indeed her husband.

"Yes, Anakin. It's me."

There was a long pause filled with longing and tension. Anakin turned around and decked the man-

'Palpatine,' Padme thought in distaste-

who was standing beside him.

"Liar!" He snarled and whipped out his lightsabre, igniting it, his body vibrating in rage. How _dare_ he lie to me!

Padme strode up next to him and placed a gentle but firm hand on his arm, and shook her head.

Anakin lowered his lightsabre with apparent regret, and turned it off. Padme turned and began to unceremoniously drag Anakin towards the door. He regained his stride quickly, and walked next to Padme.

"I thought you...?"

"You definitely did try to murder me, and it was a close call." She looked up at him, rebuke in her eyes and voice. "But...I couldn't leave out children alone."

"Children?"

Padme smiled faintly. "Children. Twins. Their names are Luke and Leia." Her voice was soft, gentle, and loving, and her hand relaxed on his arm.

Anakin smiled, excited to see his children, but almost froze in mid-step when he experienced a horrifying revelation.

"Padme..."

She looked up at him, confused at the sorrow in his voice.

"Yes?"

"Luke and Leia...they'll never know what I really look like. All they'll ever see is..._this_," he said, his voice filled with disdain and anguish.

Padme smiled wryly. "I think they'll learn to love you, you brute, no matter what you look like." There was a pause, and with rebuke in her voice, "If you fulfill your duties as a father and husband."

"Are the children with you?"

"No, I left them with Obi-Wan."

She felt Anakin stiffen in anger and she stopped in front of him, blocking a doorway.

"That's another thing. I will not allow there to be any tension in that house. Not with the babies there! You and Obi-Wan will make up. Or else I toss you both out on your own, and never allow you to see your children again."

She was bluffing, but the subtle change in his body posture assured her that he would try. She knew it was going to be a difficult, tense situation, but she would make it work. She would not have the two men she felt closest two constantly bickering and on the edge of violence. She turned on her heel and the doors to the hanger opened before her and she and her husband entered the bay, the doors closing behind them, cutting off the confused looks of the commanders and clones.


	2. Reconciliation

The sleek silver spacecraft landed with a soft fwoosh in a private runway, sending a wave of air across the plain, flattening the grass. A boarding platform dropped down from the ship's belly, light briefly blocked by two figures before the ramp was pulled up again. Padme, with Vader beside her, walked towards a point of light in the distance, and couldn't help but stop halfway to laugh.

"Can't you make less noise?"

Vader made a wheezing sound that Padme correctly interpreted as a choked laugh.

"Unfortunately, no."

The two began walking again until the reached the small cottage in a spot that had so many memories that were so painful and wonderful now. Padme stepped up to the door, and opened it, letting a flood of light out, which revealed a well-lit, cozy room. Obi-Wan looked up from rocking the twins to sleep, and seemed relieved to see that Padme had returned, and not just because she was in one piece. His eyes narrowed, however, at the large black shadow that remained outside the reach of the light, and so outside of his ability to discern features. The presence was alarmingly familiar, yet different enough to make him wary. He stood, and walked over towards the doorway, as Padme accepted the empty seat next to the cribs. He stopped, frustrated by the way whomever this was seemed to blend with the shadows.

"Obi-Wan."

The voice, although changed, was very familiar, and Obi-Wan had to try to hide his shock, his voice temporarily caught in his throat. He regained his composure quickly, and replied.

"Anakin. Or should I say Darth Vader?"

"It doesn't matter."

Obi-Wan was proud that he didn't flinch or stare when the man that was once Anakin entered.

'Big, black, intimidating...oh, I feel sorry for his kids' Obi-Wan couldn't help but think as Vader walked past him, towards the cribs.

Vader tried his hardest to not breathe loudly, not wanting to wake the babies.

"They're beautiful," he whispered, his voice carrying emotions that Obi-Wan couldn't decipher.

Vader turned and faced Obi-Wan, and the two men stared at each other, each trying to decide how he felt about the other. They had shared adventures, secrets, and... Well, there were nevertheless so many things good memories they had of each other from the past, and yet there was a rift between them.

"You killed children."

"There is peace now."

"You killed a whole generation of Jedi!"

"How many times have the Jedi almost eradicated the Sith?"

"The Sith are _evil_."

"Evil is a point of view."

They were back to this.

The two had unconsciously shifted into fighting stances as Padme watched. She could see the horrors Obi-Wan had seen reflected in his eyes and Anakin's posture spoke of anger, betrayal, and pain.

'I'm glad I never saw anything that happened,' she thought as the men fought to pull themselves out of the memory. Obi-Wan drew a deep breath, calming himself, while Vader stood still, as an idea blossomed in his mind.

"Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan became immediately wary. He did not like that tone of voice. He had never liked that tone of voice. Before it had always meant trouble, and he had a feeling that this time would be no exception. "Yes?"

"Padme and I will often be busy, and I don't think her family would take kindly to Darth Vader being their son-in-law. You can stay here, train here if you wish. All I ask is that you take care of the children when we can't, and you can even teach them the ways of the Force when they are old enough."

Neither Padme nor Obi-Wan expected Vader to make such an offer and both stared at him before regaining their composure. Obi-Wan looked over at Padme, letting her decide.

"Would you want to?"

Obi-Wan hesitated, and then sighed. "Can I speak to An--Vader for a moment?"

Padme nodded and Obi-Wan and Vader left the house, walking in silence, save for Vader's breathing. The stopped in the middle of the field, and Obi-Wan looked up at the sky, avoiding looking at Vader.

"It wouldn't be right of me to stay. I don't want to come between you and Padme's attempts to reconcile with each other."

"Is that the only reason you won't stay?"

"Vader..."

"Obi-Wan. Master. Listen to me. I will not always be around to take care of Luke and Leia, and I don't want to leave the burden on Padme alone. Also, Padme can't teach them to use the Force."

"Why can't you stay?"

"I have to work in SOME way to support my family, and... I need to keep them safe."

"Safe?"

"From...my Master. And...myself."

"You return to your wife and children and yet you still insist on learning the Dark Side!"

Vader's hand twitched next to his side, and only the memory of what happened last time stayed his hand.

"Obi-Wan. I want to protect _you_ too."

"I don't--"

"Look. Palpatine thinks that most, if not all, Jedi are dead. I want to keep you alive, Master."

"Now s--"

"I love you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Help me protect my family so that I may protect you. Anyway" a wry smile entered his voice, "Padme will appreciate the company of someone who doesn't breathe quite so loudly."

A heavily gloved hand lightly brushed against Obi-Wan hair. "If not for me now, do this in memory of the man I was."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Damn you. Fine. I'll look after them. But only when you are undoubtedly out doing evil things."

Vader chuckled and placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Thank you, Master."

Obi-Wan smiled wryly, and they made their way back side by side, still wary and distrustful, but slightly more at ease with each other.


	3. Bedtime Story

Luke tugged forcefully on his father's cape, simultaneously drawing his attention away from making plans for the conquest of another star-system and making Vader catch him before he fell on his butt.

"What is it, Luke?" Vader asked, not without a touch of amusement in his voice.

"Me an' Leia want you to wead us a stowy."

Vader couldn't help but feel touched, and so followed his son into his and his sister's room. Leia looked expectantly up from her bed as Vader sat down on a chair situated between the two beds. Luke brought over a thin, large picture book and handed it up to his father before scrambling into his bed, and air of satisfaction and anticipation about him as he squirmed between the sheets. Vader opened the book, his gloved hands clumsy even on the thick paper. He cleared his throat and began to read. His voice was soft, hypnotic, and soothing and as he read Luke and Leia felt their eyelids grow heavy and each was asleep long before Vader had reached the end. He smiled gently behind his glowering mask and touched Luke and Leia's foreheads, smoothing back the stray hairs on their faces. His contentment was short-lived, as sorrow and anger filled him.

'I should be able to touch them with real hands. I should be able to kiss their foreheads. They should know a _human_ father, not...not...whatever I have become.'

He quickly stood and stalked out of the room, reigning back his emotions until he had made it outside. He finally allowed himself to experience all the emotions that were battling within him once he was safely away from his family. Hatred towards Obi-Wan for having destroyed his human body, anger at the Emperor for not allowing him to die instead of living this false existence, remorse for knowing that it was partly his fault he was this way, sadness over the fact that his children will never know what his true face is, love and protectiveness over his children sleeping inside the house, the need to protect them from the Emperor...and from himself. He felt all these, and relished them, for they made him feel human inside the shell of mechanics he existed in. He took a deep breath, smiling wryly at how harsh it sounded, and for the first time in many years practiced the self-control meditation of his Jedi training. He would never harm his children. _NEVER_. He had already done enough harm to other's children, but, in all likelihood would continue to do harm to them. None of that mattered to him, though. They were unimportant in the scheme of things to him. As long as Luke and Leia were unharmed, he would be content, and as long as it was possible for them to be harmed, he would commit atrocities so terrible that no one would think to look on Naboo for a house in the country for the one thing that was his weakness. His family. He bared his teeth in a feral smile inside the helmet, feeling the Dark Side course through him again. He would murder to protect his family without remorse or regret. He turned, looking back at the house which held the people who mattered the most. Emperor and Master be damned. He'd keep him so occupied in his own self-importance and belief in his power that he wouldn't look twice at what his apprentice was doing.

'Let him run the galaxy, for all I care. He may think he's pulling my string, but...soon, soon, he will die. When Luke and Leia are strong, older, and trained in the Force, I will kill that son of a bitch.'

He kept himself from laughing by strength of will, and feeling a little better, turned around and walked back to the house.


	4. Daddy's Job

Vader was kneeling on the carpeted floor, playing with 5-year old Luke and Leia when Leia paused, becoming thoughtful.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"What do you do for work? Mommy and Obi-Wan never really answer us."

Obi-Wan looked over from the table he was sitting at, and wondered what lie he was going to tell his children. After all, you don't tell a child:

_I'm an evil Sith Lord bent on galaxy-wide conquest and control. That means I ruthlessly kill anyone who stands against me or my Master, who is the Emperor. So you could say that my job is to kill people to make sure that others don't mind being oppressed if it means not dying._

"I'm an assistant to the Emperor."

True.

"I help him run the government."

True.

"He sometimes sends me on important missions, which is why you stay with Obi-Wan alone."

The missions are important to them, so I suppose it's the truth.

"Are the mi-mi-mi...are the thingies fun?"

"Yes."

Obi-Wan shivered. There were little things like that that reminded him that the man behind the mask was no longer the Anakin Skywalker he once knew, but now Darth Vader. He felt Vader smirk and glared at him as Vader turned his attention back to playing with Luke and Leia as they accepted his explanation.

One day they will ask more, though. They will not always be so innocent and trusting. What will you do then, Vader?

**Tell them the truth, of course. As I always have. **

So you will come right out and tell them that you kill people?

**When do you think they will ask again? Sure, they will wonder, but by the time they ask the question again, they will have began their Padawan years with you and I, so they will be ready for the blatant truth.**

I don't know if a child is ever ready to hear that their father is a murderer.

**Aren't you as well, Obi-Wan? You have killed living things before. Your hands are as bloody as mine.**

Vader heard Obi-Wan's mental sputtering and amended his comment, **Alright. Not as bloody as mine, but you are not an innocent who has not killed and one day you will have to teach one of my children how to kill. Don't play high and mighty morality with me.**

Obi-Wan sighed heavily as Vader turned his attention back to his children, and even through the concern over Luke and Leia's futures Obi-Wan had, he still managed to find the sight of the large, imposing man-machine Darth Vader sitting on the carpeted floor of a small cottage in the middle of a grassy plain playing with his small innocent children, mildly amusing.


End file.
